Institute seeks FG collaboration to combat quackery in power sector

By AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja

The Chartered Institute of Power Engineers of Nigeria (CIPEN) has sought collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to promote professionalism and upscale knowledge and skills within the nation’s power sector.

The president of CIPEN, Engr. Israel Abraham, who led a delegation of the institute, made the request during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Labour and Employment on Wednesday in Abuja.

In a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media to the minister, Emameh Gabriel, Abraham said the institute, established by an Act of Parliament in 2023, is empowered to regulate and determine the standards of knowledge required for practicing power engineering in Nigeria.

He said “We are here to solicit the cooperation and collaboration of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in promoting and entrenching professionalism to upscale knowledge and skills and enhance competence and capacity within Nigeria’s power sector,”..

Abraham said CIPEN has developed various licenses for different categories of power engineering personnel, and is seeking the ministry’s support in enforcing their adoption.

The CIPEN president also requested the ministry’s support for the inclusion of CIPEN’s qualifications in the National Scheme of Service for the placement of power engineering personnel in the civil service.

“We are confident that a synergy between CIPEN and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment will instil a sense of sanctity, foster professionalism, eradicate mediocrity in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) necessary for driving sectoral performance, and ultimately give birth to a thriving power industry that will exceed the expectations of all Nigerians,” Abraham said.

In her response, the Minister of state for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejiocha highlighted the dangers of “quackery” in key industries like power and construction, stating that lack of qualified professionals is hindering economic growth and even costing lives.

She said without qualified professionals, industries cannot reach their full potential, adding that without checks, unqualified individuals will continue to provide substandard work, leading to issues of building collapses, power outages and even lose of lives.

She expressed strong support for the Institute to combat quackery, noting that the government’s eight-point agenda requires professional expertise to succeed as its mandatory that “qualified individuals handle essential tasks in key sectors, while at the same time protecting professionals, supporting and valuing those who have invested time and effort in gaining proper qualifications.

Onyejeocha further explained that the government’s commitment is clear: to deliver services that meet international standards and achieving this goal requires addressing the issue of quackery within the country.

She argued that this is not just about economic growth, but also about protecting lives.

She said: “Quackery is part of the reasons our industries are not growing. And if doesn’t grow, you create dearth in the economy and in the overall output of all we have invested on in our industries.

“Everytime I come across people seeking to instil discipline in our attitude towards work, I get excited, because I believe we can’t grow with quackery, we can’t grow with imitation and we turning deaf ears to issues that bedevil national interest.

“We have seen from records that once you have professional in place with the right mindset and attitude, positive outcome is certain.

“If you watch study the 8 point agenda of the president, it was crafted carefully, every point of it has a professional touch and a human face. And there is no way you can bring a human face to bare if you don’t engage a professional to do that.

She assured the delegation of the government support to work with the Institute in ensuring that the needed change is brought to the power sector.

“This government is to deliver on goods and services that will meet international standards. If we don’t get it right from within, I don’t think we will be able to get it right internationally.

” If quackery is not combatted, it is like we are deliberately neglecting why we sent people to school. We must protect professionals. Look at the building sector, why are building collapsing? Because we have allowed people without professional skills to take over the space. This must stop. We are losing lives because we are neglecting why we sent people to school. This also applies to the power sector”, she said.